Younge, the Guardian’s United States analyst, described vividly the troubles faced by Roma people in an article published by his newspaper some seven years ago.
He wrote: “The journey from the Indian subcontinent to eastern Europe made by many Roma has been a long and hard one.
"In terms of moral imperative, a human tragedy and a continent's shame, the treatment of the Roma, Europe's largest and fastest-growing ethnic minority, stands out.”
As European ministers and EU Commissioner Viviane Reding prepare to gather in Strasbourg on 20 October for the Council of Europe ministerial Roma summit, many of the themes touched on by Younge are still active concerns.
Daniel Holtgen, the Council of Europe’s Director of Communication, acknowledged as much when the organisation announced it would call a ministerial meeting in Strasbourg.
“This is a unique opportunity for governments of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, the EU and other international institutions to come together and finally agree on what to do about this ghastly situation,” Holtgen said.
“The Council of Europe is the body with most experience on Roma. We will be talking about things that matter.”
Gary Younge's Roma Articles
2001
2003
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